The Legend of Zelda
by Reymath
Summary: When strange creatures of light descend on Hyrule, the Chosen Hero must again defend against the approaching evil...unfortunately, that evil has gotten to him first. Now the quest is on to free him in order to save all of Hyrule.
1. Chapter 1: The Chosen Hero

_((Author's note: Just to note, this is purely an adventure story in a similar vein to the games. It doesn't have any romance or clever twists, or anything, it's just a typical LoZ story with one change, so my apologies if that sounds dull. Additionally, I'd like to point out that Ocarina of Time is the default for me. It's not my favorite Zelda game, nor was it the first one I played, but it is the first one that really caught me and made me a LoZ fan, so when I think of "Legend of Zelda" that's the game I think of. Because of this, it's the game that most inspires this one - the Zora will be OoT, the Gorons, ect. I only wanted to mention it because I know some people are tired of the obsession with OoT and if that bothers you, you may want to avoid this. The last note I want to make is that while I have played a lot of LoZ games, I don't pay a lot of attention to the smaller details and while I have done some research, I freely admit I've probably gotten some of the lore wrong. My apologies in advance for when that inevitably happens. If you're still with me, I hope you enjoy!))_

* * *

_**The courageous hero held aloft his mighty sword as he stepped toward where his foe had fallen. His long journey and all the trials he had faced had all lead up to this one point, to come face to face with the darkness that threatened to devour the land and indeed the world.**_

_**It had been a long quest, but through the course of it he had been made stronger. ; through the hardships he'd faced, the mystic treasures he'd gained, and the friends he'd made along the way. What made him stand above the darkness before him was that he did not stand there alone. Beyond the sages, beyond the artifacts he'd uncovered, beyond even the very piece of the triforce itself he bore, he was aided by the wisdom of the princess who was able to guide him through this battle lending her strength to his own and helping him discover the evil one's weaknesses.**_

_**He gave her one small nod, which she steadfastly returned, before bringing down the sword and destroying the darkness that had plagued their fair land for so very long. The evil one's roars of hatred and anger echoed throughout the chamber, but it was of little use. The battle was over. When the last of the echoes finally faded, the hero and the princess stood there alone, the world around them slowly righting itself.**_

_**It was as it should always be, with wisdom and courage defeating the power of the darkness. And whenever evil threatens the land, the hero will be reborn once more to face it.**_

"Reading those stories again, are you, Zelda?"

The young woman looked up from the massive book spread out in front of her. "It's called studying, Impa," she replied casually, "a princess needs to know these things, after all, especially a princess of Hyrule."

Impa leaned against the doorframe, a small smile on her face, "I think you've 'studied' those old legends enough that you've got them memorized."

Zelda returned the smile. Impa knew her too well. The older woman had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. She recalled hearing tales of Impa's bravery as a royal guard in her younger days. Much time had passed since then, however. She still served in the castle, but it was no longer as a guard. Now she stayed by Princess Zelda's side to keep an eye on her. She had been a constant presence in Zelda's life and Zelda considered her as much family as her own parents. Impa was keenly aware of her fascination with the old stories and legends of Hyrule, particularly those regarding the hero.

"Well, if I have them memorized, then I will know what to do should the darkness ever return," she said smartly.

"Certainly!" Impa said with a laugh, "if they weren't so vague about the whole thing! These legends, they never seem to give you straight answers for things."

Zelda smiled and shook her head, "That's certainly true. I think there's here for my purposes, anyway. The role of the princess is vitally important, but seems fairly simple, all things considered. All I need to do is find the hero!" She smiled fondly down at the book. As a child she had read those stories burning with jealousy at all the fun things the hero was allowed to do while the princess stayed behind. As she grew older however, it had occurred to her that as fun as those tales were to read, they would likely not be so much fun to experience.

"The hero?" Impa blinked, "how on earth would you find him? He's never named or described in the tales."

"The princess always knows," Zelda replied cryptically.

The older woman seemed unimpressed. "And who, oh wise princess, would be the great hero to save Hyrule this time around?"

"Hmmm…"as often as Zelda had fantasized about these great legends, she'd never considered them coming true before. She spoke the first name that came to mind, "it would probably be Link."

"Link? That scrawny woodcutter lad?" Impa laughed, "what makes you think he'd be chosen?"

The question caught Zelda a bit off guard. The idea of Link as the chosen hero was as strange to her as it was to Impa and she wasn't entirely sure why she'd said it. "Hm…well, the hero in the stories often comes from humble and unlikely beginnings, and he certainly gives his all in everything he does."

"That's true, I suppose," Impa replied, "The poor boy's also kind to the point of a fault."

She laughed at that and Zelda couldn't help but laugh with her. In all the time she'd known him, poor Link had had something of a tendency to let himself get walked on rather than cause any problems for others.

She thought back to when she'd first met him. She'd run away from the castle as a child, out to look for adventure. It wasn't long before she'd gotten hopelessly lost in the forest. It was Link who found her and, despite her protests, brought her back home. She had been angry with him at the time, but he had promised that if she wanted to see the forest again he would help her until she learned enough about it to face it alone. They'd remained friends ever since. "He's reliable, though," she countered.

Impa smiled broadly, "That he is. You may have a point about that one now that you put it that way."

"Anyway," Zelda said, climbing to her feet, "I doubt you came here to talk with me about old legends, Impa. Is it time for the festival?"

"It is," the older woman replied with a small nod, "it's why I thought I find you here."

"Well, a celebration of one of the hero's victories is as good an excuse as any to revisit those stories," she said, "what are my royal duties for this one?"

She followed behind Impa who began rattling off a list of ceremonies and greetings that Zelda would have to attend. As they left the room, however, a faint voice seemed to come from the emptiness, "…enough…"

She paused for a moment, concerned. The whispers had a menacing air to them, but when no further sounds could be heard, she dismissed it and continued towards the festival.

The festival that evening in the castle square was a flurry of speeches, greetings and toasts for Princess Zelda. Most celebrations ended up being more work than play for members of the royal family. As exhausting as it could be, though, it was never work she terribly minded. All the people of city and surrounding lands, and even traveling in from far away were coming into the main square to have fun and celebrate together. Seeing that lightened her spirits no matter how tired her body felt. Many of these people barely knew what the festival was celebrating, they just knew it was a big party and that was reason enough to enjoy the festivities. It all added to the fun, so as far as Zelda was concerned, it was reason enough.

Even so, it was with relief that she returned to her seat as fireworks exploded in the sky to mark the end of the festival…the official festival at any rate. All of the scheduled events were over now, but people would be celebrating in the streets long into the night.

As she sat in the darkness, enjoying the show herself, she again heard the voice that seemed to have spoken earlier. "…'ve…enough…"

"Impa, did you hear that?" she asked the woman sitting at her side. She looked around them, but nothing seemed out of place.

"I'm hearing a lot of things, Princess," Impa replied with a laugh, "it is a festival, after all. Was there something in particular I was supposed to hear?"

"A voice," Zelda said distantly, still searching the crowd for its source, "someone trying to speak to me…I heard it earlier in the castle as well."

"Did you?" Impa asked, "what did this voice say?"

"I…I'm not sure," Zelda shook her head, "I can't quite make it out."

"Well," the older woman stood with her hands on her hips, "let me know if you hear any more from this particular voice of yours. In the meantime, the fireworks have ended, why don't we try to enjoy the festival some."

"About time!" Zelda replied, getting to her feet and stretching, "I've been smelling the food from those stalls all evening!"

By the time they'd descended into the crowd and gotten herself some festival snacks from one of the vendors, the unease the voice had made her feel was already fading. It was difficult to keep a dour attitude in an atmosphere like this surrounded by the street musicians and the sounds of laughter and merriment.

"Look there, princess!" She heard Impa's voice over the din, "your hero made it to the festival as well."

She followed Impa's outstretched hand to see Link in the midst of a group of dancers. He had clearly been pulled there by the owner of the flower shop who was still enthusiastically cavorting with her grudging partner. The young woodcutter on the other hand didn't seem to know much about dancing, but he seemed to be doing his best to oblige.

Zelda laughed to herself a bit. Even the normally quiet and reserved Link was able to cut loose and have some fun this night.

She turned to Impa, to say she was going to join in on the fun herself, when the voice returned, more insistent, but no more understandable. She froze in place as the voice grew in volume.

"Princess? Princess, what it is?" She could barely make out Impa's words over the escalating noise. It sounded like an enraged scream; unintelligible and grating.

"It's back!" she cried desperately, "the voice is back! It's coming here! We have to stop it!"

Impa took her shoulders, face full of concern, and tried to say something, but Zelda could no longer discern any of her words, nor could she respond in any way. There was an overwhelming feeling of dread in the air that felt as though it were crushing her. Turning, she could see the dancers stopping to look her way, joyful smiles giving way to worry, which then turned to fear as they began looking around in panic. Apparently the voice had grown the point that everyone could hear it.

"ENOUGH!" the voice roared, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"

Without being sure why, Zelda turned to find Link. She found him still where the dancers had been, looking around with everyone else and trying to find the source of the sound. He then turned and scanned the crowd until he met Zelda's eyes. The moment he did, he began running for her, his eyes fixed on her in stern determination.

Before he had gone more than a few steps, however, a brilliant bright light opened up at his feet. He stopped dead in his tracks, as though his legs had been frozen in place, leaving him standing in the midst of a blinding circle. He looked down at the ground in shock as the light seemed to engulf him and he started to slowly sink into the earth.

"YOU MISERABLE WRETCH!" the voice intoned, "YOU HAVE DISRUPTED MY PLANS TIME AND TIME AGAIN! THIS TIME I WILL NOT GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY! I WILL REMOVE YOU BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME A THREAT TO ME!"

Link struggled to pull himself free from the light, but it did him no good. He had now sunk up to his waist and showed no signs of slowing.

The shock from everything that had happened faded from Zelda's mind as she looked in Link's face. Without stopping to think she darted forward away from Impa and towards where her friend was sinking into the earth. She felt like she was swimming through a sea of negative energy, but she kept her focus on Link as she dodged through panicking festival guests.

He was sinking fast, it was up to his shoulders now. "Link!" she cried as she approached, "Link, give me your hand!"

He looked up, his face full of desperation, and threw out his left hand before his worried expression disappeared into the pool of light. She reached out for his outstretched hand; all that was left.

Her hand gripped his fingers, and for the briefest moment, she thought it would be enough, but the force pulling from below was too great. His hand slipped from her grasp and disappeared into the light…


	2. Chapter 2: The Quest

The circle of light faded immediately after Link disappeared into it. Zelda felt the ground, looking for some clue, some way to follow. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and knew who it was without even turning.

"He's gone, Impa!" she said in shock, "He's gone!"

"There was nothing you could do!" came the reply as Zelda felt herself hauled to her feet, "there is more you have to worry about right now!"

"What?!" She looked up. The castle square was in ruins, toppled stalls and discarded items littered the ground. Screams of the festival guests filled the night air. What had happened to Link was far from the end of it. Circles of light, much like the one that had swallowed Link, were opening all around her. Out from the light stepped strange creatures, the like of which Zelda had never seen before.

They were made entirely from light so bright that she couldn't make out any features or characteristics, save that they appeared mostly humanoid. Over their brilliant light forms, the creatures wore sparse armor that was completely black, which was just as impossible to make out details of as their bodies were, though for the opposite reason. All she could really see was that it blanked out the light of their bodies and shadowy tendrils seemed to be rising off of it.

Once free of the light portals, the creatures set about to destroying anything and everything near them. They didn't seem to be aiming for the people who were still present, but they weren't avoiding them either. They simply mechanically set about their destruction, as if they were only here to create havoc.

"What's happening, Impa?!" Zelda cried, "what are these things?!"

At the sound of her voice, all the creatures near them turned as one to face her.

She felt a firm hand grip her arm pull her back, "We have to leave, princess! This way quickly!"

Zelda didn't argue, there was no time for that. Instead, she allowed the older woman to lead her through the chaos. As much as she wanted to stop this, she knew there was little she could do, she was only grateful that it appeared that most of the people had escaped before the portals began opening. _Unlike me, they had the good sense to run when they heard that voice,_ she thought, a bit ruefully.

Impa was leading her back towards the castle itself, but to her surprise they did not go inside. Instead, she was steered off to the right of the entrance towards a small passage. Just before they reached it, another portal opened directly in their path. Impa hardly even flinched as the creature started to emerge. Without slowing, she pulled Zelda up on her right side, keeping the creature to her left as they skirted around it. Zelda heard Impa grunt as they raced into the passageway.

The small tunnel they had entered seemed to be some sort of servant's passage. The two women ran down it until Impa came to an abrupt halt, looking at a small carving on the right wall.

Zelda looked back frantically. The creature they had run past was following them. It was moving much more slowly so it was a good way behind them, but she could see the light it gave off in the distance. "Let's hurry, Impa!" she said in a hushed yet frantic voice.

Impa did not reply. She pulled a strange medallion out from around her neck, the marking of which matched the eye symbol on the wall. Holding it up to the wall, both designs glowed for a moment before the wall opened up revealing a new passage. Impa grabbed Zelda's arm again, pulling her into the wall, then lifting the medallion again to close it behind them.

"Should've listened to you…" Impa was muttering as they descended the old stone steps in the dark, "should've trusted your instincts….should've gotten you out of the festival as soon as you mentioned something strange…should've put a guard on that boy,…kept him safe…"

Zelda tried to reassure her the same way Impa had done earlier, "It all happened so fast, what could really have been done?" The older woman did not seem to hear her.

After traveling for what seemed like ages through the dark, they finally came out into a room. Impa used her medallion again to shut the passageway behind them while Zelda searched the room for lamps to light. It wasn't hard to come across them, there were several lamps, actually, as well as strikers nearby. Soon the room was filled with a warm glow.

Zelda turned to Impa to ask what they were to do next only to see that the older woman was slumped against the door, clutching her side. "Impa!" Zelda cried, rushing to the woman's side, "You've been hurt! Hold on, I've got you!"

She helped Impa over to a bench, and carefully laid her down before hurriedly dressing the wound. Her skills as a healer were not great, but they were enough to see to an ailment like this. Before too long, the bleeding was stopped, and Impa was resting.

Zelda took a long, slow breath to steady her nerves. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, she'd barely had time to take it all in. She stepped back and finally took a good look around the room that she found herself in. It almost appeared to be a storeroom of some kind with boxes piled up against the walls, but there were also workbenches in here, as well as weapons and armor stacked about and hanging from the walls. She could still see the frame of the door they'd come in, though the passage was now blocked. There was another such doorframe on the opposite side of the room. Carved into one of the walls was an image the sacred triforce.

"What is this place?" she asked absently.

"It is a last resort," Impa said weakly, causing Zelda to jump. She had thought the older woman was asleep. "It is a protected room, full of supplies. A place to come to in case of events such as we had tonight…there are escape tunnels within the castle itself, your parents were probably taken to safety…but with you out in the courtyard, this was the only thing I could think of to keep you safe."

"Thank you," Zelda said earnestly. As claustrophobic as this room was, there was no doubt Impa's quick thinking had saved them. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'll live," Impa grunted, "but I don't have any idea what we should do next."

Silence fell between them a moment. Zelda looked to the opposite door. If that one opened as well, then it was the obvious choice for an exit, but getting away wasn't all that she was concerned with. The strange creatures had taken over Hyrule castle, and something much darker was behind it all. Whatever that voice was, it had clearly had an evil purpose. It had to be stopped!

…if only the hero were still around to stop it.

"Why Link?" she asked softly, "why did they go after Link and leave me?" It had happened in plenty of the stories after all. The princess was taken by the villain and the hero came to her rescue. She didn't like the idea of being held by monsters or doing nothing but wait for a rescue, but it seemed to work in the past, and there was so much more on the line than her own comfort.

"They couldn't take you," Impa said, "We've had you shielded since you were a child to prevent it! I don't think those monsters even knew you were there! And just to be safe, we've kept an eye on you! Why do you think I've never left your side?"

The question startled Zelda. She smiled weakly and said, "I thought I was just that much fun to be around."

A small smile came to Impa's face, and she visibly relaxed a bit. "It was a duty I was honored to take." She looked away and her face grew stern again. "I'm not sure how they found Link. They didn't even try anyone else, they picked him right out…and I'm not sure what we'll do with him gone."

Zelda looked towards the exit again. "We will have to go find him," she said resolutely.

Impa looked alarmed, "You can't be thinking-" She tried to get up, but Zelda pushed her gently back down.

"We don't have any other options." Zelda shook her head, "Do you think anyone else who saw what transpired tonight knows what really happened? Do you think any of them are aware of what needs to be done? This cannot be beaten without the chosen hero. Right now, you and I are the only ones who know what happened to him, and you are in no condition to travel."

"Princess, you aren't prepared for something like this!" Impa cried.

"Is anyone?" she replied simply, "Something must be done, Impa. I am the Princess of Hyrule. My duty is to my kingdom and my people. If doing this can save them, then I will go without hesitation." The words sounded wonderful, but Zelda couldn't keep her hands from shaking. The very thought of facing those creatures to free Link filled her terror. She put her hands behind her back, awaiting a response from Impa.

It took a few moments for one to come. "You right…" the older woman conceded, "you're right, something needs to be done. I have no way to contact your parents or anyone else for help. Trying to go back into the castle now would be suicide. Link is our only hope…and you are the only one who has a chance to reach him…"

She started to get up again, this time more slowly and carefully, and she waved Zelda's help away before hobbling to one of the crates in the corner. "The first thing you should do is seek out the old sage, Varin. He lives on the edge of the forest. He might be able to help you find Link."

"Sage…?" Zelda asked, but Impa ignored her. She was too busy working the crate open.

At last the top of the box came free and Impa reached inside to pull out a large metal shield with the crest of the royal family imprinted on the front. "There are plenty of supplies here, we should gather them up for you. You'll need to take this as well for protection."

She turned and handed it to Zelda, who nearly dropped it the instant it was handed to her. "It's heavy," she said without thinking. She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. She sounded like some whiny, pampered princess, and there was too much as stake to be complaining about such things.

Impa only smiled and helped her heft the shield back up into place, "carrying it will make you strong."

Zelda nodded and the two of them set to work to prepare her for her journey. A change of clothes was in order, as a princess' dress was not suitable to traveling. A simple tunic would suffice, along with a hat to keep her long hair in found a pair of sturdy boots that fit her as well, much to her surprise. A satchel was packed with food and water. The shield she found she could sling over her back. It was still a chore to carry, but easier there than on her arm.

The last thing Impa pulled from the many boxes stored here was an old short sword. The blade was dinged and scratched and the hilt was worn and torn, which made her wonder how much use these items had already seen. Zelda took it carefully without comment. She had no training with using a sword, but it was better than carrying nothing.

When they had prepared everything, she walked over to the second doorway, "Can you open this, Impa?"

The older woman nodded, pulling out her medallion again and holding it to the symbols on the wall. As Zelda took a deep breath, readying herself to set forth on her journey, Impa pulled the medallion from around her neck. "Take this as well, it may prove useful to your quest."

Zelda hesitated, "But what will you do without it?"

"I'll be fine!" Impa insisted, "leave this entrance open. They won't have found where it comes out. I'll only stay here until I'm strong enough to move, and then I'll try to gather some help for you."

Not entirely satisfied, but not wanting to argue, Zelda took the medallion. She then stepped forward to hug Impa tightly. "You've always been there for me, helped me, kept me safe," she said a bit tearfully, "I will return the favor. I will find Link and we will rid Hyrule of this evil. Please be careful, Impa, and take care of yourself. I want to have a real celebration with you when this is over."

"Enough," Impa said fondly, "be on your way before I find a way to keep you here!"

Zelda smiled, then walked into the dark passage. Her journey had begun.


	3. Chapter 3: The Lost Woods

The tunnel angled upward quickly after leaving the storage room behind and the passage kept twisting and turning. Before long the glow of the light from the room behind her had faded and Zelda was left to carefully work her way through the darkness on her own.

At last, the tunnel came to an end at another solid wall. She felt around the edges until she was able to find the design carved into its surface. Pulling the medallion from around her neck, she held it up to the carving. Once again, both designs briefly glowed before the passageway opened.

Light filled the tunnel. The light was not particularly strong, but it still startled Zelda. She'd been down in the room with longer than she had thought as the lights that was streaming in were the early rays of the sun. Once her eyes had adjusted she realized she'd come out in the back of a small shed. She carefully tiptoed forward to peer out the door.

All was quiet and still outside, there were no signs of the creatures that had attacked the castle the night before. She seemed to be outside a stable and stepping out a little further told her it was located outside of Hyrule castle grounds. She could see the castle from here though. She could even see that the creatures still prowled the grounds.

She turned to look back at the shed, it was unassuming and a bit ramshackle. It actually did quite well to disguise the passageway behind it. It even had an old door, leaning off its hinges a bit. Simply closing that door as well as she could would disguise it enough. Those creatures seemed more content to patrol the castle than to search it. She would then be able to leave the stone door behind it open to allow Impa an exit when she recovered.

A noise from one of the stalls caught her attention. With a flash of panic she pulled out the short sword. Had she been discovered already?

It quickly became apparent, however, that it was not one of the strange creatures she was hearing, but a horse left behind in the stable. She walked carefully up to the reddish brown mare as the animal was clearly agitated, knocking her knees against the stall door. There was something familiar about the horse, though. It took Zelda a moment to put her finger on it.

This was Link's horse. She felt a pang of sadness at that realization. Here she was, waiting alone in this empty stable for a master who would never return. She knew then that she couldn't leave her behind. What was the horse's name again? "Easy…Epona," she said softly, holding out one hand, "Calm down. Link isn't here, but if you just calm yourself I can help."

Epona snorted, but settled down and stretched out her head to allow Zelda to rub her nose. "That's right," Zelda whispered, "Link's gone missing, and I'm going to find him. If you want to help, you can come too. We'll find him!"

Epona whinnied and danced in place, which Zelda took as agreement. It didn't take long to get Epona readied for travel. The horse was surprisingly docile once freed from the stall. If she didn't know better, she would've thought that Epona had understood what she'd said and was dutifully waiting to go. After everything was prepared, she took a moment to go back and make sure the wooden door to the shed was closed before climbing into Epona's saddle and spurring her off in the direction of the forest.

The forest was not that far from the castle, particularly not when on horseback. Approaching the forest edge, however, Epona began to get agitated again. By the time the trees around them began to actually thicken, the horse was clearly in too much distress to continue. Though Zelda didn't feel she was in any danger of being thrown from the horse's back, she also had little to no control of the animal.

At last, she dismounted, patting Epona's nose to calm here. "It's all right, my friend," she said, "Thank you for bringing me here so swiftly. You don't have to go any further. Just wait for me here." She released the reins; surprised to see the clearly upset animal didn't simply bolt. With a small nod, she turned to the forest itself. Something here was frightening Epona, a horse who'd lived her entire life in this forest, but Impa had told her to find Varin on the edge of the forest. She could not turn away now!

She ventured carefully into the woods. It wasn't long before the thick jungle overtook her. Still, she had been out here many times as a child, so this place was familiar enough to her.

It was because of this familiararity that she was very surprised to look through a thick bush to see a creature she'd never spotted before. It was a small, squat humanoid thing, with pig-like features, dressed in scraps of leather and carrying rudimentary weapons. _A moblin?!_ The name jumped into her mind from the stories she'd always read. No, not a moblin, it was too small, but similar…a bokoblin? Creatures such as these always seemed to appear when the forces of evil were again present in the world. Seeing it here in the forest was a terrible sign.

She started to step back, to sneak away from this terrible creature and continue her search, but something seemed to alert the bokoblin before she'd gotten out of sight as it suddenly turned directly to face her. Letting out a loud shriek, the creature charged forward.

Zelda fumbled for the sword and shield, only just managing to wrench the heavy shield in front of her before the creature's sword hit. The weapon clanged hard against the shield's surface, the shock of which traveled through the metal and rattled Zelda's arm so badly, she would've dropped it if her arm weren't through the strap.

The shock seemed to startle the bokoblin as well for its weapon flew from its hands. Desperately, Zelda thrust her sword forward into its gut.

The bokoblin stumbled forward a few steps before collapsing in a heap in front of Zelda, who in turn stared down at the creature in shock. Before she could collect herself and react to the whole situation, the bokoblin was swallowed in a burst of black smoke. Once it had dispersed, all that was left was Zelda's small sword, lying on the ground.

She sat there a long moment, trying to catch her breath and collect herself. She'd never killed anything before, and evil or not she couldn't say she'd enjoyed the experience. It had only taken a moment to happen, but the knotting in her gut was sure to last long after.

She reached for the sword, only then realizing how tired she had become. The burst of activity and adrenaline seemed to have drained what little energy she had left. It was with great effort that she climbed back to her feet, laboriously hefting the shield. It would be easier to carry if she strapped it to her back again, but she didn't have the strength to lift her arm high enough.

With a small sigh she began to trudge forward again, but before she had gone more that a few steps, a familiar shriek called through the woods. With a jolt of fear she turned to see a new bokoblin staring right at her. In its hands, the creature was holding a horn of some sort. It lifted the horn to its mouth and blew into it. A loud, long blast sounded through the woods. Zelda began to hear the rustling of movement in the woods all around her and she knew what was coming.

She turned and, despite the protests of her muscles, began to run as the woodlands behind her filled with screaming, cackling bokoblins. Her lungs ached and her legs felt like lead weights. She knew she'd never get far, her fear was all that kept her feet moving, and the horde of bokoblins behind her were fresh, but she didn't expect the chase to come the abrupt end that it did when she fought through some brush and found that the earth had dropped out from underneath her.

She tumbled to the ground…no, it wasn't ground it was stairs, a set of stairs leading down into a swamp.

…and that was all she had time to notice before the shrill sounds of the creatures behind her filled her ears and darkness clouded her vision.

She slowly opened her eyes to find herself looking up at a ceiling, rather than the leafy boughs of the forest trees.

"Awake, are we?" a coarse voice asked. She turned her head to see a wizened old man, stooped over with age. White hair stuck out in tufts from his head and chin. The robes he wore were simple and a bit faded and ragged.

"What…happened?" Zelda asked carefully, slowly sitting up.

"You passed out," he replied simply, "right on my doorstep. A lucky thing too, or those beasts would've had you."

Zelda blinked at him in confusion, then sighed a bit. So, she had fainted in the forest and this man had saved her. She felt a wave of shame come over her. Nothing had even harmed her; she'd just collapsed because of her own weakness.

The man spoke up again, however, cutting into her thoughts. "Frankly, I'm surprised you made it this far. I heard about what has happened at Hyrule castle, princess. Have you had any rest since it happened? Bah, don't bother answering, the look on your face tells me enough." He gestured to the walls of the room they were in, "You had enough energy to get you here, though, and that will do for now. You're safe for the moment. I keep my home shielded. The beasts can not get you here." He shook his head, adding somewhat bitterly, "If only I could shield the whole kingdom from those monsters…but no…this will do."

"Who…are you?" Zelda asked at last.

"What?" the man arched one eyebrow, "you don't know? I'd assumed I was the reason Impa had sent you here. What else would you be here for? I am Varin, and I can help you find what you're after."

"Varin?!" Zelda nearly jumped to her feet, but he put a hand on her shoulder, holding her in her seat. "You can really help me?!"

"Of course, of course!" Varin said impatiently. He turned away from her to dip a ladle into a steaming pot to spoon out a bowl of stew. "Here" he handed the bowl to her, "You'd better eat something. You'll need your strength if you want to get the sword."

She started eating almost involuntarily. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she actually had food in front of her. The stew was surprisingly good, too. Almost half it was gone before it registered what Varin had said.

"Sword?" she asked, her mouth still full. She paused to swallow before continuing. "You misunderstand, sir, I already have a sword. I'm looking for Link. He's the chosen hero, but he's disappeared, taken by those monsters. I have to find him to help fix all this, but I'm not sure where to look."

Varin picked up the short sword from where it was resting with the shield on a table. "And how do you think you'll be able to save him with this little pig sticker?" he asked before smirking and adding, "You're going to need a much bigger pig sticker if you want to help your friend."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I don't really have the time for that. This is about more than just helping Link. All of Hyrule is at stake!"

"Then take the time to make sure you do the job right!" Varin countered so sternly that Zelda actually leaned away from him a bit. His expression softened and he sighed, "I admit, I have another motive for asking you to do this. I don't have all the answers for you right now. In truth I have been searching for answers since the castle was attacked. Whoever took the hero…'Link' was it?…they don't want finding him to be easy. I am close to an answer, but I need a little more time. Since you're already here, however, it seemed to me that the best option would be to have you spend that time seeking out a useful tool for completing this mission, rather than sit here waiting for me."

Zelda paused, considering. Put that way, it made a lot more sense. She certainly didn't want any of her time wasted, and if he thought this weapon could help, well, maybe it was worth it. "What do I need to do?" she asked.

Varin smiled, much more brightly than his somewhat surly demeanor made him seem capable of. "Behind my home on the other side of the swamp is the entrance to the sanctuary that holds the sword. You must travel through there. It is a sacred place, so there probably won't be very many monsters who were able to make their way through, but it is a maze. So you must be careful. Look to what has always guided you, and you will find your way through."

She blinked. "Don't you have advice that's a bit more specific?"

He snorted and said offhandedly, "You have to find your own way through it, that's how it works. I cannot tell you any more."

She sighed and stood. She really was feeling much better. The forced rest must've done her some good…and surely the stew helped. "All right," she conceded, picking up the sword and shield, "I'll find this sword, but time is of the essence. I hope you have some answers for me when I get back."

She walked to the door and as she stepped out it she heard his somewhat uncertain reply, "As do I, princess…"

Without pausing to acknowledge, Zelda made her way across the swamp. It was slow, but not difficult and before too long she had arrived at the weathered stone archway that she supposed was sanctuary entrance that Varin had been talking about. Cautiously, she made her way through.

She didn't really know what she had expected, but from Varin's description of it as a "maze" more forest was not precisely it. The woods here were much more dense than they had been elsewhere, however, and though she could choose multiple directions to travel in at every juncture, it still gave the feeling of tight corridors.

She walked through the woods, choosing various directions as she came upon each split, with no real way of guessing what was the best way through. It didn't really feel like she as getting anywhere, however, and by the time she found herself right back at the beginning, she had gotten very frustrated. How was she ever supposed to find her way through this? Every bit of woods looked the same!

She thought back to what he had told her, "look to what has always guided you." It didn't really seem to be much help. If he meant her instincts or something similar, they hadn't seemed to be helping so far. Anyway, as a princess, she had to guide herself very little in her life; it was Impa who'd always steered her in the right direction.

Impa…

Impa had left her with something, hadn't she? Zelda pulled the medallion out from under her tunic and was surprised to see it was glowing faintly. With the medallion in her hand, Zelda began to walk towards one of the branching pathways. The glow faded. She turned to face the other branches, watching how it reacted. The glow was the brightest when facing one pathway in particular, and as she approached it, it only intensified.

She traveled through the maze once more, this time following the clues of the medallion. It seemed to work much better, she felt she was actually making some progress, but it depressed her a bit too. She hadn't passed this obstacle due to her own strength or cleverness, she had just been given the answer by Impa, just as she always had. It was a shame Impa had been injured, she'd probably have been a better pick for this quest.

At last, it seemed Zelda had come to the end of the maze. And she stopped to stare in awe at the sanctuary itself as it lay before her. Tall plants and trees lined it on either side arcing inwards like the roof of a cathedral. The "floor" was covered in pristine, shallow water that was completely still. It reflected what was above it like a mirror. In the center, a raised stone walkway led up to a dais, which was illuminated by sunlight streaming in from above. And thrust into a stone in the center of the dais was a sword.

Zelda walked through the room cautiously. Varin was right, this place was sacred. It almost felt as though her mere presence were a disruption of its perfection. As she approached the dais she was able to get a better look at the focus of her quest. The sword itself was a straight, double-edged blade. It did not appear to be terribly ornate, but was definitely a much higher quality than any weapon she had ever seen before. This could only be the master sword, the sword she had read about so many times in the stories.

She reached one hand forward towards the hilt, but jerked it back suddenly when a jolt of pain shot through her arm. She cradled her hand, but didn't take her eyes off the sword. Magical energy was crackling around it. Of course, the master sword was protected. Only the chosen hero could remove it from this place.

Zelda's heart sank and a feeling of hopelessness and defeat settled over her. She was not the chosen hero. She was not worthy to take this sword. What had ever made her think she was up to this task?

Her shoulders drooped and she turned her head a bit, trying to decide if she should head back now and let Varin know she'd failed.

It was then that she saw the shadowy figure that stood behind her.


	4. Chapter 4: Shadow Link

She only glanced it for a moment. A dark figure stood between her and the exit. In the instant she sighted it, it began to move. Zelda didn't hesitate, she dove to one side, landing with a splash on one shoulder into the shallow water. The figure's strike connected with the stone the sword was still trapped in. It did nothing to the stone, but the sound of the heavy hit caused Zelda to wince, glad that it had missed her. She fumbled for her shield, hurriedly holding it up in front of her.

Once she was secure behind the shield, she looked up again at the figure to see it was standing facing her, apparently studying her as well. It gave her the first good look at her opponent.

Her eyes, grew wide. "Link?!"

It was hard to believe, but there he was in front of her. His entire form: skin, clothes, everything was black, save for his eyes which glowed an ominous red, but it was still unmistakably Link. In his face anyway. He was dressed like a warrior and carried himself as one as well, which was not something she had ever seen from the woodcutter. He was imposing; intimidating. In one hand he held a dark copy of the sword that still sat securely on the dais.

This was certainly nothing like the earnest and somewhat awkward young man she knew. Why did this being look so much like him?

In a flash, she remembered back to the stories she'd read. A recurring event was a fight between the hero and his shadow, a dark copy of himself, equal to the hero in skill and strength. Was that what this was?

Just as the thought occurred to her, the shadow seemed to grow tired of waiting and dashed forward, lunging with the sword. Zelda only just got the shield up to block the blow, stumbling backward under its force. She angled the shield to let the shadow's momentum carry him past her, then she scrambled back towards the dais, looking for some better footing.

The shadow paused again with his back to her. He seemed in no hurry to attack, which in many ways made him more menacing. She caused him no concern at all, but she had no doubt that if she tried to take advantage of the moment she would pay for it. Instead, she set her feet, readied her shield and held the short sword at her side, waiting for what would come.

So this thing was Link's shadow? Of course. He didn't look like the Link she knew because he wasn't. He wasn't the shadow of a woodcutter; he was the shadow of the chosen hero. This was Link as he would have been. This shadow was here to face Link, and Zelda had just gotten in the way.

The shadow dashed forward again, this time attacking with a flurry of hits. It was all Zelda could do to keep the shield between herself and the deadly weapon. Though he had yet to strike her, she felt each and every blow shock through her entire body. The arm that held the shield was going numb. She used her sword arm to brace it, desperately trying to keep herself alive.

The shadow was supposed to be a match for the chosen hero, was this really the level that Link would be at? If so, she could certainly understand why he would be chosen as the hero.

…but it wasn't just his strength, was it? He was kind, brave and selfless. It was true, he _should _be the one standing here facing this shadow, but he wasn't. He had been captured, taken away to some terrible place by whatever evil force had set this whole thing in motion. Right now, Zelda was the only hope he had and this shadow- this _copy -_ this pale reflection was preventing her from freeing him and setting him on his true path.

And the more she thought on that the more her desperation, frustration and anger built. She stomped one foot hard into the stone floor giving herself a sure base and just as the shadow was bringing the sword forward for another strike she pushed back with the shield, striking first and setting him off balance. She did not stop to celebrate this minor victory, however. With a loud, guttural cry she charged forward, shield first, catching the shadow right in the his midsection and driving him backward into the wall.

He struck the wall hard, but it hardly even seemed to phase him as he raised his sword arm yet again. Zelda was braced against the back of the shield, attempting to pin him there, but when she saw his movement she drove her shoulder forward and up, stunning his shoulder. It wasn't much, but the hesitation was just enough. She gripped her small sword tightly and with another yell drove it forward into the shadow.

His red eyes widened and the dark shadowy substance that composed his body began to break apart and drift into the air. Zelda stepped back, her arms dropped straight to he sides and her shoulders bent as she tried to regain herself, breathing heavily from the exertion. She did not, however, take her eyes from the swirling shadows and felt no surprise at all when they gathered and reformed before her.

In a moment it was as though she were looking into a darkened mirror. The shadow being was now an exact duplicate of her, right down to her exhausted pose. It was her shadow. It had always been her shadow, but rather than simply reflect her moves and skills, this one had instead reflected her own uncertainty and doubt.

It was certainly telling how much less intimidating the shadow was now that it was in her form rather than Link's, but Zelda no longer cared. She was tired of this dark copy toying with her. If it looked less threatening now, then that only meant she had a better chance of defeating it.

She hefted the shield once again and held the sword out before her, the shadow mimicking her every move. "All right," Zelda said, "let's finish this."

The fight that ensued was not terribly remarkable. The shadow now used Zelda's low level of ability, which left the two of them simply striking roughly at once another. There was no skill, no strategy, just a contest of wills. For a while none of the blows from either combatant were connecting with anything but the shield, but it wasn't long before Zelda's strikes were knocking the shadow shield aside and she was seeing some openings. Zelda was exhausted, but was filled with a grim determination. There were others that needed help beyond herself. The mindless shadow had no such energy source to draw from.

At last, Zelda used a similar strategy as she had on Link's shadow; she drove the shield forward, meeting the other's shield and knocking it aside. With one swift strike she drove her sword through her counterpart.

The shadow made no sound, but it seemed to fall away into the world, vanishing in an instant, leaving Zelda standing alone in the ankle deep water of the sanctuary.

She didn't stop to reflect further on what had just transpired, instead turning to the dais where the sword still waited. Walking up to it, she stretched out her hand again and again was met with the barrier of energy. Her brow furrowed. She had not gone through all that to turn away now.

She clenched her teeth, set her feet and thrust her hand forward to grip the hilt. As her fingers closed around it, her entire body erupted in pain and the magics protecting the sword cracked in the air all around her. Still, she refused to release the hilt.

"Din!" she screamed out, "Naryu! Faore! Hear me, great goddesses! I am the princess of Hyrule! This sword was meant only for the hands of the chosen hero, I know that!" The pain overwhelmed her a moment, and she paused to regain herself, but still did not release the sword. "But your hero is gone! I wish to save him, but I need your help! Please! Release this sword to me! I will deliver it to the one you have chosen! The balance of this world will be restored!" She could feel herself starting to lose consciousness, but she willed herself to stand firm. "Please, goddesses! Help me save Link! Help me protect Hyrule!"

As soon as the words left Zelda's mouth her entire vision blurred into a single, white mass. She could only hope the goddesses heard her plea, because she was determined she would not move until they had…

The door to Varin's small home burst open and Zelda staggered into it. "You knew…" she said in a low voice, "you knew that was the Master Sword, that only the chosen hero could lift it. You knew and you sent me in anyway…you could've said something before sending me there!"

Varin turned to look at her. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the state she was in, beaten and barely standing. "And?" he asked, "did you get it?"

She glared at him a moment before pulling forward the sword and thrusting it into the floor at Varin's feet, making no attempt to hide the burns and open wounds that covered her hands and arms. She left it stuck there and shouldered past Varin, letting the shield drop to the floor with a loud thud before collapsing onto the bench that she had woken up on earlier. "I've done what you asked," she said dully, "I hope you have some information for me."

Varin walked over to her with a bowl full of liquid and an old rag. "I do," he said as he dropped to one knee in front of her and took one of her arms, looking it over carefully.

"Where did you get this information?" she asked, a little irritably, "It doesn't look like you've even left…"

"I didn't," he said as he dabbed the red liquid from the bowl carefully onto her wounds, "but I have many ways to get information from a distance and to look where others cannot. I am a sage, after all."

"I suppose I can't argue with that," she sighed.

"Do you know, princess, of the worlds beyond our own?" Varin asked.

"Yes, there is of course the Sacred Realm, and another, a realm of twilight," she replied, wincing a bit as he worked.

"There is a third, as well," he said, "the Sacred Realm is a place where all things meet, light and dark, good and evil, all things are the same. The Twilight Realm is a world of darkness, broken away from our own, but another world was made as well, a realm of light. It seems it was created opposite the realm of twilight by forces of light who feared our world would be lost to the darkness. It has been sealed off from even the most powerful scryers of Hyrule ever since and no record of its existence remains. Even I never knew it existed before now, and we only know of it now because the realm of light has broken into our world. From what I've been able to discover, the evil force that is behind all this chaos discovered this other world and has somehow invaded and corrupted it to use for his own twisted purposes."

"How…can that be?" Zelda asked quietly.

"It is a realm of pure light," Varin replied, "one that was sealed away for centuries, what defenses should they have had ready to stop this?" He stood to retrieve some bandages from a nearby cupboard. "Controlling the realm of light gave this evil force a unique viewpoint. It now had access to abilities that it could never have duplicated on its own. If our guesses are correct, then this is how it was able to find your friend Link. The hero chosen to stand against an evil force of darkness probably stood out like a beacon to those accustomed to seeking out light. It seemed they wanted to prevent him from ever becoming a threat at all." He stopped in front of her again and began carefully bandaging her wounds. "They likely would have found you just as easily, princess, were you not protected, though we were lucky that the protections placed on you worked, since no one could have predicted an attack from this front."

"Then those creatures I saw at the castle…?"

"They are the people of the realm of light," Varin sighed, "probably enslaved into serving their new master."

Zelda was quiet for a moment, watching Varin attend to the bandages and letting the information sink in. "Then Link is likely trapped in this realm of light," she said softly, "as long as they haven't…"

She hadn't wanted to consider the fact, but if they really wanted the chosen hero out of the way, it would make sense for them to make it permanent. Varin shook his head, "We believe he's still alive, princess, I think we'd know rather quickly if he wasn't, but yes, he has most likely been taken to the realm of light, a captive of its evil master."

"What must I do?" Zelda asked, trying to ignore the fears that began to creep up in her mind as the enormity of it all weighed on her.

"First we'll need to find a way to get you into the realm of light," Varin said, "it will not be easy, but since they've traveled here, they've created connections between our worlds that you can use. Even so, you will need help to get there. I've been in contact with several other sages and we think we have a solution that can open the way for you, but we'll need some items for it. Long ago, three artifacts were given from the royal family of Hyrule to other rulers as a sign of trust. These artifacts are blessed by the goddesses themselves and will help us in establishing a connection to the realm of light. While the sages and I work on finding a proper point and preparing the way, we will need you to retrieve those items. They were given to the Zora, the Gorons and the Gerudo."

"That will take a lot of time," Zelda said, "can't it be done any quicker?"

"No," Varin said shortly, "this will not be an easy undertaking. It's not like simply opening a door and walking through."

Zelda sighed, "So I convince the Gorons, Zora and Gerudo to give up these things, and then we can go save Link?"

"Not…quite," he said hesitantly.

Her brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"It's a realm of pure light," Varin finished applying the bandages and stood, "No Hylian could withstand it on their own. It would burn your skin and blind your eyes. You'd never be able to find anyone. You'll need to get some protection first."

Just hearing about all this was exhausting, and Zelda couldn't help but think about all the monsters crawling over Hyrule castle, and of Link, captured and held somewhere just waiting to be saved. She hated having to leave that even longer…but the longer she delayed the longer they would have to wait. "Where can I find that?" was all she asked.

"We've never been to the realm of light, so I can't be sure, but I know there's a suit of armor that was gifted to this world by the goddesses many centuries ago. It should protect you from anything."

She found herself wondering if a suit of armor that old would even still be usable. "Where is it?"

"I'm not sure," Varin said, and Zelda had to bite back a sigh, "We'll look into that while you're finding the artifacts."

She looked down at her bandaged hands, still aching from the wounds, though feeling considerably better now that they'd been treated. Still, she'd gotten so injured just on this one task, could she really do everything Varin was asking of her?

She stood and walked to the shield, "All right. I know here to go for the artifacts at least. There's nothing for it but to start."

Varin pulled the sword from where it was stuck into his floor. It took him a moment and Zelda felt a bit of satisfaction at how much difficulty he had pulling it free. "Here," he said, "take this. It will help you on your way. And there's one more thing I'd like you to do before you go."

Zelda frowned. There was so much she already had to do, and now he wanted to waste even more time? Varin missed her impatient expression however, he had turned away from her to fetch something else from his cupboard. "You'll need these." He handed her a scabbard first. It was old and ornate, and seemed like it would fit the sword well. She wondered where he'd gotten it. The second thing he handed to her were a set of leather gauntlets. She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. "Your hands are still healing," he sniffed, "Have to keep the protected."

Zelda looked down at the items and her mood softened a bit. As frustrated as she had been in this whole scenario, there was no denying that he had helped her a great deal, and if all went to plan, he would continue helping her for some time. "Varin…" she said softly, "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done. There's a lot to do, but at least I now have a purpose."

"Don't thank me yet!" he said, "the last thing I want to try is something a bit more on the ethereal side of things. I think it will work, however. I understand you've always had a strong connection to the spirits." Zelda had no idea what he meant by all that, but she was willing to listen. "All I need to you to do, princess, is close your eyes and focus on clearing your mind."

"All right," she said, attempting to do as he asked. For a moment, she wasn't sure she'd be able to do it, there were so many thoughts and fears and plans and concerns floating around in her head. But finally she was able to clear out all the distractions and calm her mind.

"You can look now," Varin's voice startled her and she looked around herself to see that she and Varin were no long standing in his home, but were instead in some strange, barren landscape where the colors kept shifting and fog filled the air. "Excellent!" Varin sounded genuinely pleased, "I knew you were up to the task!"

"Where are we" she asked in hushed tones.

"We are on a spiritual plane," he explained, "there is someone here who would like to meet you." He gestured to his right where a gaunt form appeared from the mists. Zelda gasped at the sight. This creature was little more than a skeleton wearing battered and worn armor. In it's hands it held a chipped sword and a dented shield. It was frightening to look at at first, but also somewhat sad somehow. "Princess," Varin said, "this is the chosen hero, at least, he was so in life. He had wished to meet with the new hero, his descendant."

"I am sorry to disappoint him," Zelda said sadly, meaning every word, "but I am not the one he's looking for."

"No, you're not," Varin nodded, "that is why he had to come through me. With no connection to you, he could not contact you outright."

This all was so surreal, Zelda couldn't believe any of it was happening. "What do you need to see me about?" she said, addressing the apparition directly, and bowing her head slightly in respect.

"He was going to pass his sword skills on to the chosen hero, but as the hero has been captured, he has decided to train his rescuer."

Zelda stared at him a moment in shock. "B-but…I am no warrior," she stammered.

Varin smiled, "All the more reason to train you." The ghostly figure nodded its agreement and lifted its weapons in a battle stance.

Zelda wasn't sure how to react for a moment. For all the bizarre things she had seen thus far, sword lessons from a ghost still seemed far too strange…but hadn't she been worrying all this time how she could possibly succeed? Hadn't she been lamenting her weakness? Her lack of ability? How then could she possibly turn this down?

With a curt nod of her own she matched the apparition's stance, intent on taking every move, every lesson to heart.

The fate of all of Hyrule was at stake, and she refused to let any of them down.


	5. Chapter 5: Zora's Domain

It was with new resolve that Zelda began to make her way towards the Zora's territory.

Her lesson with the apparition had been brief. He had only gone over the basics of swordplay with her before the connection could no longer be sustained and they parted ways. Though they did so with the promise that her lessons would continue at a later date.

Even so, by that point it had become evening. It was the following morning before Zelda made her way back out of the forest so she was surprised to see Epona in a field just beyond the forest boundaries, peacefully grazing. The horse raised her head as Zelda approached, looking at her expectantly.

She smiled sadly. "No," she said, rubbing Epona's nose, "I'm afraid I haven't found him yet. He's somewhere far away, and we're going to need some things to get to him. If I can count on you, however, we can get through it much more quickly."

Epona whinnied a bit and stood still for Zelda to climb up into the saddle. "All right," she said, spurring Epona forward, "On to Zora's Domain!"

The speed that Epona could run was impressive and before long they were well on their way. Zelda tried to spend the ride focusing on the task ahead, of what she would do when she arrived and how she would approach the Zora ruler, but there were two things that kept distracting her thoughts.

One was the Master Sword, now strapped onto her back and adding its weight to the shield's. She was grateful that Epona was here. She wasn't sure how far she would have been able to walk with all this extra weight. Beyond that, however, it just seemed strange to be carrying it at all. It was the hero's blade, after all. She was not even supposed to have it and she barely knew how to use it. She could only wield it one-handed for a brief time before she needed to use both, which in turn made using her shield difficult. She would have preferred to keep her short sword, but she didn't really have the space or the strength for both, and of the two the Master Sword was certainly more important.

The other distraction that she faced was Impa's medallion hanging around her neck, bouncing against her chest as she rode. Varin had noticed it before she'd left and after studying it briefly informed her that he could use it to keep in contact with her. Through the medallion, he claimed he could give her advice, keep her informed on their actions and help facilitate more training sessions. It was a strange setup, certainly, but she was grateful to not be heading into this mess alone…provided it worked as he'd said it could.

She wasn't sure what to expect heading into the Zora's land. She had met the envoys from the Zora many times, but they had always come to the castle, she had never been into their territory before. Consequently, she had no idea where the entrance was or what to look for. She knew the area well enough to know where the river was at least, and so that was where she and Epona headed.

They arrived on the banks of the river in good time and Zelda paused there a moment, letting Epona rest and drink from the clear waters while she herself looked around. There was nothing to be seen in either direction, no signs of life or civilization. She pulled some rations from her bag, sharing them with her companion, as she pondered which way to head.

"The Zora always mentioned the sea, didn't they?" she said, voicing her thoughts out loud. Epona didn't seem interested in her thoughts, but she continued them anyway. "I know they live off of this river, but I think they first came up from the sea. It would make sense then that they would make their home nearer to the sea." The river flowed towards Hyrule castle, so that most likely meant that the Zora lived closer to its source.

"Come on, Epona," she said, climbing into the saddle, "I have an idea at least." Epona tossed her head a bit as Zelda turned her upriver. The pair set off again. Zelda trusted Epona to keep an eye out for obstacles ahead and kept her own attention fixed to the river, looking for any sign of the Zora.

They had traveled a good way before she spotted anything, but she needn't have worried, it wasn't anything she was likely to miss.

On a small outcropping on the far side of the river she could see several creatures huddled around something, the very same creatures that had attacked her in the forest. _Bokoblins again?!_ she thought irritably. Their attention was fixed on the ground in front of them where a small Zora child was backed up against a rock wall. He was cowering with his shoulders hunched and his arms covering his head as the bokoblins closed in, cackling shrilly among themselves.

Zelda unsheathed the sword from her back and leaned forward. "I know you don't like these creatures, but I will need your help for this. Are you ready, Epona?" she asked. The horse gave a whicker in reply as Zelda turned her toward the river and urged her faster and faster.

In the moment before Epona reached the bank, Zelda wondered if she could truly make such a jump. But there was no turning back now. The horse's hooves hit the edge of the river and they launched into the air. In an instant Zelda realized how much she'd been underestimating Epona's power. The distance seemed nothing to the horse.

It seemed to be quite a shock for the bokoblins. One moment they were threatening a vulnerable child, an easy target, the next a horse thundered into their midst. Their laughing turned to squealing screams as Epona landed on the small bit of land, actually trampling two of them while searching for space.

Zelda leapt from the horse's back before she had fully come to a stop, holding the sword out in front of her while she pulled the shield from her back. The three bokoblins remaining stepped back a pace, they seemed uncertain of what to do in the face of the Master Sword. Zelda took advantage of their hesitation to offer an ultimatum. "If you leave now," she said sternly, "I will not harm you." They exchanged glances, then raised their crude weapons and charge forward with loud cries.

She winced a bit internally. She hadn't really stopped to consider the situation before charging in. She didn't think she could take all three of them, but there was no time to worry about that now. She blocked the blow of the first bokoblin with the shield, striking out at the second with the sword. Her blade met the shaft of the creature's spear, slicing right through it and cutting the bokoblin down. She had no answer for the attack from the third, however. She tried to turn to face it, knowing there was no time, but before she'd barely begun to move Epona's front hooves came down hard on the creature's head.

That only left the one she'd blocked remaining. It still stood with its club against the shield, and looked somewhat worried, but it didn't turn to run. Zelda swung at it, causing it to jump backwards away from her. Before it could regain its stance, however, she stepped forward again, swinging the sword back the opposite direction cutting into its midsection, putting it down as well. Its body fell back and burst into black smoke just as its companions had.

Zelda stared at the spot it had been for a moment before turning to face the young Zora…only to find no one there. A quick scan of the water showed a streamlined form darting away through the water. She wanted to be annoyed that he hadn't stayed to tell her where Zora's Domain was, but he'd been so terrified, and she and Epona bursting onto the scene likely didn't help. She could hardly blame him for running when he had the chance.

_Still,_ she thought, carefully noting the direction he was swimming, _he may help us yet._ His form swam a ways up the river, before turning where the river branched into a cave. Now she had a lead.

Zelda replaced the sword and shield on her back, before walking over to Epona and rubbing the horse's nose. "I knew I could count on you," Zelda smiled, "You took care of more of them than I did! And you saved my life! Perhaps you should've been chosen as the hero!" Epona nosed her shoulder and Zelda laughed before taking the reins. She carefully waded into the water, leading the horse through the shallows on the edge and onto the bank opposite the way they had arrived. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to bring you through that cave," she said, "so let's get you onto the shore."

With Epona to safety, she waded back into the water and worked her way up to the river fork, making her way into the cave. Once inside, she found herself still fighting against the flow of the current. She had thought at first that this cave was branching out from the river, but apparently the cave was where it merged. She worried briefly that the force of the water would be too much for her to walk against, but she quickly found a path along the cave wall. It was narrow, only wide enough for one person, but it was more than enough to walk on and was definitely better than staying in the water.

The cave darkened quickly. All she could do was hope that this was the right way and that the Zora she had seen hadn't just been darting into a hiding place. To take her mind off of the nervousness she felt she pulled out her medallion as she walked. She paused a moment to concentrate on locating Varin. Her efforts were rewarded when medallion began to glow dimly, which was something of a relief in the gloomy cave.

"Varin?" she asked uncertainly, "Are you there?"

There was brief silence, then a voice came, "Princess? Yes, I hear you. How is your journey going?"

Zelda breathed a short sigh of relief that it had worked. "Well enough. I think I'm nearing Zora's domain," she said, "but I was wondering what specifically I need to ask for when I meet with them."

"The artifact? Let's see…the Zora were given a mirror, I believe." Varin answered.

"A mirror?" that didn't sound much like a treasure, "are you sure?"

"A mirror granted by the goddesses," Varin said. It seemed he'd heard her skepticism. "That's what you're looking for, princess."

"All right, then, if that's what we need, then I'll get it for you," she said, much more certainly than she felt, "how are things going on your end?"

"Slow," came his reply, "but we will get there, princess."

"Good to hear," she said. Light was showing ahead of her now. "I think I'm getting close, Varin. I'll contact you again later."

"Keep me informed!" he said. The glow from the medallion faded and she was left in silence again. Luckily the light ahead kept her from falling into complete darkness.

She came out of the cave into a small canyon. On the far side, a waterfall cascaded from the cliffs above into a wide pool below. It was the water from this pool which flowed out into the river. The turmoil of the waterfall was throwing mist into the air that reflected the sunlight and made the whole area seem to shine. It was a beautiful view…but there was no entrance visible. She wondered briefly if the entrance were in the pool itself. The Zora were as at home under the water as above it, after all.

She walked towards the pool, peering into the waters, unsure if she hoped she would find something or not. Swimming through an underwater opening when she wasn't certain of where it would come out was not a welcoming thought. It was impossible to see far below the surface, however, the waterfall was causing too much of a disturbance for her to see through. _I wonder if it causes a similar visual disturbance underwater,_ she thought idly. At the very least there were probably a lot of rough rocks and turbulent currents caused by the waterfall. It seemed more likely then that the entrance was somewhere else.

Looking around, she caught sight of a small worn path, leading up to the base of the waterfall. "Aha," she said softly but triumphantly, "there you are."

She carefully edged her way up to the waterfall's base. It was only when she was right upon it that she could see the tunnel beyond it leading inside. She took a moment to steel herself, then slipped inside, avoiding as much of the punishing force of the falling water as was possible, though she still couldn't avoid getting completely drenched.

The tunnel she now found herself in was as dark as the other cave, but the walls and floor were smoother and easier to navigate. She also quickly found that it wasn't as long, emerging into a large cavern with water running, paths criss-crossing every which way and a large lake in the center. Holes in the ceiling illuminated the place from above, so she could now easily see that there were Zora everywhere in here.

…and she quickly caught their attention the moment she stepped inside.

Two Zora that were standing near the entrance - she could only assume they were guards - reacted in shock at her sudden appearance. One of them pointed her pike at Zelda, "Who are you, Hylian?!" she demanded, "Why have you come to this place?"

Her companion blinked in surprise and suddenly said, "Wait! Don't you recognize her? This is the princess!"

The first looked at Zelda a moment and then quickly raised her pike, looking nervous. Zelda tried her best to appear regal and confident, as much like a princess as she could. She wasn't sure how well she managed however in such simple clothes and still dripping wet from passing under the waterfall. "Ah yes," she said to the second Zora, "You were with the royal guard that visited the palace, were you not? I remember you. I have come to speak with your leader. The matter is urgent."

"Yes, yes of course!" the Zora guard bowed his head, "please come this way." He gestured her forward, then addressed his companion, "Go ahead and inform the king. See if he will have an audience with the princess."

She nodded curtly and hurried off as Zelda and the guard followed at a more leisurely pace. She held her head up and tried to ignore the stares she received from the Zora all around her. Now was the time to put her uncertainties behind her, she had to convince the Zora's ruler to give her this treasure.

The guard led her through a tunnel into a cavern, not nearly as large as the one she had first entered into. A small waterfall rained down from a hole into a center pool. Across from where she entered, the Zora king sat on a makeshift rock throne, his head leaning on one fist. She had heard of Zora rulers being massive in size so she was almost disappointed to see this king was only marginally larger than his subjects. Even so, he definitely seemed to have the presence. She felt a little intimidated.

"Princess," he said, leaning forward as she entered the room, "welcome to my domain." He raised one eyebrow once he'd gotten a full look at her, "You know that we have entrances more suited to your kind, yes?"

She felt very self conscious of her wet clothes but kept her head high. "The situation is too important to be concerned of such things" she said, "I am here for a matter of utmost urgency. I hope you can help."

"What can I do for you, princess?" he asked.

"I assume you've noticed what has been happening," she said, "Hyrule Castle has been taken. In order to fight back against the evil that has taken hold I need an artifact blessed by the goddesses that was given to the Zora long ago. A mirror. Do you know where that item might be?"

The Zora king settled back in his seat with his brow furrowed. "Yes," he said softly, "I know of the item."

Silence passed between them for a moment. "…Could you give it to me?" she prompted.

He looked thoughtful a moment more, then his demeanor seemed to change. "Give it to you?" he asked, "No, princess. The decrees from the goddesses were quite clear. If I were ever to give up the mirror it was to be to the chosen hero." He looked down sternly at Zelda. "You are not he."

She felt a bit taken aback. She had not expected that he might refuse her. "No, sir, I am not," she said as firmly as she could, "but I am here and he is not. You must grant me this! All of Hyrule is at stake!"

The king stood suddenly and Zelda had to resist the urge to flinch away even though she was on the far side of the room. "Do not speak to me in such a way, princess!" he said, "I am allied with your father and I will do what I can to help, but you are not above the words of the goddesses! The mirror will only be granted to the Hero when the time comes!"

She still stood as tall as she could, but had no reply to his words.

The king stared down at her a moment more before turning away. "If matters are truly so dire, perhaps it is worth looking into. You are welcome to remain here, princess…while I consider the matter…"

"With all due respect, my lord," Zelda said urgently, "there is no time to waste. The mirror is required to save everyone, your own people included!"

The king didn't turn to look at her, nor did he respond to her words, only saying, "Guards, show the princess out."

She was hustled from the room by the guards back out into the main cavern. "I am sorry, princess," said the guard who had first recognized her, "but you heard the king. We will offer you all our hospitality while you're here. Please wait patiently."

She wanted to protest, but knew it would do no good. These guards had no power to go against their king's word. "Thank you," was all she said, "I suppose I'll just look around a bit."

The guard smiled and nodded, leaving her in the entrance to the tunnel as he returned to his post. The second guard now stood barring the way back to the king's cavern. She sighed a bit, unsure how to proceed. She couldn't leave until she had recovered the mirror, but the king didn't seem likely to budge. Maybe Varin would have some advice.

She started to walk down a side tunnel to pull the medallion free and contact the sage.

"Princess, wait…" a small voice said to the side of the cavern.

She turned to see a small Zora boy standing there, fidgeting sheepishly. It took a moment for her to recognize him in the dim light. It was the same boy she and Epona had saved from the bokoblins. "What is it?" she asked gently.

"It…it's just his pride," he said, hesitantly, "Don't think too badly of him…the king I mean, it's just his pride."

He seemed nervous, like he was afraid he was telling her something he shouldn't. Zelda dropped to one knee and put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "What's your name?" she asked.

"R-Roran." He said.

"I'm glad to meet you, Roran," she said, "And I'm glad to see you safe. Now we can meet properly. I am Zelda. I'm not here to get into anyone's business, but you seem to have something important you want to tell me. What do you mean? What's this about pride?"

Roran looked at the stone floor a moment. "The treasure isn't safe," he said at last, "the king keeps it out where he can show it off in the palace." Zelda blinked a bit in surprise. She hadn't been aware the Zora even had a palace. "He was very proud to have been entrusted with it," Roran continued, "so he liked people to see…but monsters came. They took over the palace and chased us away. He told you he wouldn't give it to you because he didn't want you to know. He is ashamed that he wasn't able to protect it himself. He would rather you think he is unreasonable than think he was too weak to keep it protected. He is too proud to ask for help. I heard him say that it was entrusted to the Zora and so the Zora must reclaim it."

Zelda sat back, somewhat surprised by all this. "I think I understand how he feels," she said at last, "What do you think, Roran?"

He looked up at her, his face determined. "I think you need that treasure to save Hyrule. It might make the king mad, but I want to help!"

Zelda leaned closer to him again. "Roran, can you show me where the palace is?"

He nodded, and started down a passage, "This way, quickly!"

She didn't hesitate. She followed close behind him, not concerned for what the king might think. She needed the mirror and she was determined to retrieve it.


	6. Chapter 6: The Water Palace

The passageway that Roran led her down was thin and roughly hewn. It became apparent to Zelda fairly quickly that this was a little-used passageway. She had just begun to wonder about the existence of a Zora "palace" for the second time when the passage opened out into a much larger hallway. This hall was wide and spacious with a high ceiling and intricate carvings in the rock walls. Zelda paused a minute to look around in awe, but Roran just kept going. She hurried to keep up, a bit ashamed that she'd doubted him.

The hallway came to an end at a large pool, ringed with more of the same carvings. It became apparent to Zelda fairly quickly why Hylians like herself might not know much about the Zora palace. It looked like it was mostly submerged. Before she could ask Roran if he knew of any other entrances she could use, he ran off to one side of the hall where a small chest sat.

From the chest he pulled out a strange looking mask that was designed to cover the entire face. He turned to hand it to her. "Here" he said, "this is something we keep for visitors, though they don't get much use. With this you can travel under water like us! It will let you enter the palace."

Zelda took the mask, looking at it a bit nervously. It was hard to imagine this little thing could do something like that and it was a terrifying thought that she might be down in the depths when it suddenly failed. Still, she needed that mirror and she felt she could trust Roran. If he said the mask would help, then it would. She put it on without comment and then looked to her companion through the glass covered windows on the front.

"It's just through there," Roran said, pointing to the pool, "I don't know where he kept the mirror specifically, but I've heard it's in a place of honor."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

He looked down at the floor, looking a little nervous and ashamed. He was afraid. She couldn't blame him, she was too. She turned to fully face him, "Now Roran, I need to you stay here in case anyone tries to come stop me. I need you to stall them. Can you do that for me?"

He looked up at her and nodded. She smiled, even though he couldn't see it through the mask. "Good, I'm glad I can count on you," she said, patting his shoulder. And with that, she turned and descended the stairs into the pool.

As her head went under, she felt a pang of fear. She caught and held her breath involuntarily. After a moment of hesitation, she let out her breath and tried to breathe normally. It was with a rush of relief that she found that the mask seemed to work well…at least for the moment. With a deep breath to steady her nerves and calm her fears she started down the passageway.

The mask helped her see clearly enough in the water, but the passageway she traveled down was dark. She hoped her eyes would adjust to the darkness. She needn't have worried, though, as she entered into the structure at the far end of the passageway the room was illuminated from all sides. It seemed to be some form of luminescent plants growing on the walls, both below the water's surface and above it. Looking up she could see a pocket of air above her that also had some of the plants growing there.

The palace wasn't quite what Zelda would normally think of as such, but at the same time this place was still grand. The room she found herself in was huge and of an uneven shape with more carvings in the walls. There was a slight current moving throughout the room and Zelda got the impression that the irregular design of the room was to help direct those currents in a way that the Zora would like. The room was also full of sculptures. Zelda couldn't say for certain that she understood what they were depicting, but they were still quite stunning to behold.

It was all very fascinating and beautiful. She would've liked to keep looking around and taking it all in, but something in the center of the room had caught her attention. A gigantic, monstrous eel meandered back and forth, drifting in and out of the current. It hadn't noticed her yet, but there was no way she was getting through the room without getting past it and judging from the rows of sharp teeth jutting from it's jaw, she doubted it'd be willing to let her by.

She stopped near the entrance, considering how best to proceed. For the first time, the weight of all her gear was working to her advantage. It was keeping her moored to the floor rather than floating around getting caught in the currents. This still left her with the problem of using her weapon. She could barely use it on dry ground, but underwater all her strikes would move more slowly and with less weight.

She left the shield on her back but pulled the sword free and began slowly walking forward, watching to see if there was any way around the eel to avoid having to face it. As much as she hoped to not have to fight this beast she was not at all surprised when it caught sight of her and abruptly turned and darted through the water directly toward her.

She stopped, set her feet and gripped the sword in both hands, holding it out in front of her. As the eel approached she could see with dismay that it was larger than she had first realized. Without stopping to second guess herself she pulled the sword close and put all her weight behind a single forward thrust. The blade struck the creature right in the head and it recoiled with a loud shriek…but to her dismay, it wasn't killed. It only retreated for a moment.

She didn't move, just clinging tightly to the sword and trying to keep herself facing the beast as it dashed around her. At last it seemed to gather itself enough and it turned back towards her, intent on revenge. She held the sword with its tip towards the floor and just as the eel reached her, it's jaws gaping, she wrenched the sword upwards, using all the strength of her back and legs as well as her arms. This time the blade sliced completely through the eel's head. The water around them burst into black mist as the monster finally died.

Zelda didn't waste any time. The beast was dead, she could now continue through the room. Based on what Roran had told her she guessed that the mirror would be displayed in a place of honor in the palace, which was unlikely to be a mere entranceway.

An elaborate door stood at the far end of the room, but it was locked. It wasn't terribly surprising, this was the palace, they probably generally wanted outsiders to keep out of it, although given the circumstances it was probably just as likely that it was locked to keep the monsters in as to keep intruders out.

Next to the door was a small indent that contained what looked to be a small propeller. It could be a mechanism for opening the door, the zora would likely be able to open it easily as they could create a current with their fins to turn the wheel. Zelda looked around the room again. She didn't have the means to create pressure as a zora would, but the strong current running through the room should suffice if she could direct it properly.

She began moving the sculptures in order to divert the water's flow. She assumed that the zora probably wouldn't like her to be messing with their statues this way, but she was already trespassing, it seemed like a small concern at the moment.

It only took a few tries to get the sculptures in alignment to force the water's flow directly into the propeller and once the last one was in place, the propeller began to spin. She could hear a creaking and grinding through the wall, then an unmistakable click as the door became unlatched.

Zelda opened the door and continued further into the palace. She found herself in a short hallway before reaching the next room. She didn't get much of a chance to study the following room as all she could see as soon as she entered was that it was filled with a swarm of strange looking fish with short, round bodies and large mouths filled with knife-like teeth. Their large eyes spotted her quickly and like the eel, they began to rush right for her as one.

Zelda pulled the sword free again and held it out in front of her, but she knew she had no real way of defending against so many enemies, especially considering how quickly they could move. She backed up against the wall so that they wouldn't be able to get behind her, but the wall didn't feel like she thought it would on her back. A quick glace back told her there was actually a ladder attached to the wall and a quick glance up told her it lead to a ledge above that was out of the water.

The strange fish were swirling about her and snapping their jaws. They seemed wary enough of the sword that she could keep them at bay by swinging it, but they moved far too quickly for her to hit. She didn't know exactly where the ladder went, and she wouldn't have much time to scale it, but at the moment it seemed to be her best option.

She summoned all her strength and quickly struck at the mass of fish once, then again, scattering them through the water. She then quickly turned and began scaling the ladder, not even bothering to sheathe the sword. The fish collected themselves quickly and were attacking again before she reached the top. She held the ladder with one hand and swung out, scattering them once more.

She had to repeat this process twice more before reaching the top, but when her head broke the surface, she felt sure she had made it. As she scrambled out of the water and onto the ledge, however, she felt one of the fish bite down on her left leg as she was pulling it up after her. She sliced the fish with her sword and it burst into black smoke as she pulled herself entirely on the dry ledge.

The water dripping off the front of the mask made it harder to see when she was out of the water so she pulled it off. First she examined her leg. The wound was deep, but not crippling. Most of her supplies were still packed onto Epona, so she had no bandages with her. She made do with ripping free a bit of her sleeve to create a makeshift bandage before finally looking around the room she was in.

Weapons were hung from the walls all around the room. At first she thought it might be an armory, but there didn't seem to be quite enough stocked here for that. These seemed more like they were there for display. Looking below the water's surface she could see what appeared to be murals lining the walls. The weapons were probably connected to the murals in some way, but would degrade if they stayed below the water's surface.

The fish still swam back and forth near the surface, but not close enough for Zelda to reach them with the sword. She needed to clear them out before she could continue. The bite from one of them had been more than enough. She had no desire to feel what a full school of them were like. She was read, though. She was in a room with weapons, and she had just spied the answer a little further down from where she currently sat.

An ornate bow hung there on the wall with a quiver of arrows nearby. It was too good to be true. She wasn't sure why the arrows had been left as well if they were only for display, perhaps these weapons were to be ready to use in case the palace were attacked, but the reason didn't much matter at the moment. Zelda had little training with a sword, but she had practiced archery for most of her life. It was considered a fine pastime for a princess. So, it was with great confidence that she limped over and pulled the bow from the wall.

Turning, she notched an arrow in it, pulled it back and fired at one of the dark shapes in the water. There was a puff of smoke and another fish was gone. Thus Zelda began picking off the fish one by one. They continued to mill around near the surface in the hopes of catching her. It was much easier to aim at them from a distance than to try to fight them up close and Zelda was a sure shot. Before long the last fish had been destroyed and the room was clear.

She slung the bow over one shoulder and tied the quiver to her waist. She was thankful that the quiver had a cover so she didn't need to worry about the remaining arrows floating away in the water, though it only made sense that it would in this environment. She retrieved and donned her mask and descended back into the water to continue her quest.

The rest of the palace went much the same way as the first two rooms had. She traveled from room to room battling the monsters she found there. They were largely types of fish, of course, though there were a few frog-like creatures as well. None of them fazed Zelda as much after facing the giant eel and school of fish near the entrance. There were a few more mechanisms like that on the first door, but they didn't take too much effort to work out. She worked her way through the underwater building, only briefly scanning each room after she'd cleared it. She had a rough idea of what she was looking for and nothing she was seeing was it.

At last she walked through a large ornate door like that which had marked the entrance to the palace. The room beyond was expansive with little furniture in it, just a wide open space. It reminded Zelda a great deal of the ballroom in Hyrule Castle. It certainly seemed to be some sort of gathering room. The ceiling was high, extending above the water line as only a few other rooms in the palace had. A large platform above the surface was supported by carved pillars that extended down through the water to the floor.

A flash of light glinted from the central pillar that was facing the entrance as she walked into the room. Zelda moved a bit closer to see what it was that was hung there in such a place of honor. It was a dazzling mirror. This had to be the mirror she was looking for! At last she had found it!

She stopped a moment, considering how best to reach the mirror. As she did so, it occurred to her that the luminescent plants that filled the palace were rather dim, but this room seemed brightly lit…and what was it that had reflected off of the mirror?

She turned as quickly as she could to find the light's source, but she didn't have to search far. A creature of light came storming up behind her. She only barely managed to pull the sword free before it had grabbed her, ripping the mask off of her face.

Zelda reacted almost immediately. She swung the sword at the blurry light that held her. She felt no resistance as sword passed through the creature's form, but the it released her anyway. She let herself sink quickly to the floor and then kicked off of it, swimming frantically against the weight of her gear to get to the surface. She almost didn't make it. Her limbs were like weights and her lungs were burning as she burst through the surface, scrambling to grab hold of the edge of the platform and pull herself free of the water. She sat on the dry surface sputtering and gasping for air through the water as it dripped off of her sodden form.

She looked up as a brilliant light began to fill the room. The creature was climbing up on the platform across from her and only now did she get a good look at it. It was similar to the creatures that had attacked Hyrule Castle. It was made entirely of light with three pieces of black armor covering its shoulders and chest. The main difference with this creature, however, was that it was about three times the size. Its form was odd as well as it had proportionally smaller legs and massively long arms coming from its broad shoulders. It reared back and let out a strange, shrieking roar.

Zelda climbed to her feet, sword in hand, watching it carefully.

The creature raised both its massive arms over its head and brought them down onto the platform with a thunderous crash. Zelda managed to avoid the hit, but the floor beneath her shook with the shock of the impact and she almost lost her footing again. It struck the floor with the move a second time, but now Zelda was ready. She leapt into the air in the moment just before its fists hit and she struck out at its arms with the sword.

The sword simply passed through the form of light just as it had underwater, but the creature jerked its arms back suddenly. _So, _thought Zelda, _physical strikes don't seem to hurt it, but they sure make it uncomfortable. _

The creature stepped back, seemingly considering its next move. It did not repeat the smashing attack a third time, instead charging forward and swinging with its fists. Zelda brought the sword up again, but unlike its arms, the fists of this thing seemed very solid. The blade connected with it and was deflected away, leaving Zelda to be thrown backwards by the force of the blow.

She scrambled back up quickly, avoiding another quick charging attack, her mind racing to figure out what she could do. Stabbing seemed to bother it momentarily, but did no real damage. However, even if she wanted to take advantage of that, it was now leading with its fists which could not be cut. There was one other thing she had yet to try, though.

She readied herself and ran straight toward the creature. It lunged forward, striking at her again with its fists, but she had already jutted one foot forward into a low slide going right under the creature and slashing at its legs as she passed. The creature let out a cry and stumbled as Zelda used her momentum to smoothly lever herself upright, crouched on one knee and facing the monster. She pulled the bow from her back and smoothly fitted it with an arrow, firing it directly into the creature's head.

As with the sword, the arrow passed right through, but this time the creature's reaction was more severe. It arched its back and roared out in pain. Zelda took advantage to run in, sword in hand. She jumped up and struck one of the creature's armored shoulders with the blade. The piece of black armor shuddered a moment, then vanished in a puff of black smoke just as all the monsters had done.

The creature seemed to come to its senses then, lashing out with its hands to keep her away, but Zelda had already retreated, looking for a new spot from which to fire an arrow. She had no idea if this strategy was a smart one, but it seemed to be doing something and it was the only thing she could think of.

It had lost sight of her when she ran, so it was simple enough to fire another arrow into it from a short distance. Again, she charged forward and the armor from the other shoulder was destroyed. Only the chest piece remained.

She waited until the creature began to charge again, intending to dodge it as she had before to get into position to fire another arrow. This time, however, as she dodged, the creature compensated, matching her stride for stride. Quicker than she could react, it grabbed her tightly and lifted her off the floor.

The move so surprised Zelda that she couldn't react right away. What was there to do? The creature was so much larger and stronger than she was, and now it had her in its grasp…in its grasp and directly in front of it…and it hadn't pinned her arms. "You got me," she conceded, swinging the sword back "but all that did was put me right where I needed to be!" In one swift move, she brought up the sword and sliced it through the black chest piece.

It burst into black smoke, just as the others have. Unlike the others, however, the creatures entire body seemed to intensify and fill the entire room with a brilliant light. It released Zelda, who collapsed in a heap to the floor. Unable to see anything, she gripped the sword tightly, holding it in front of her, waiting for an attack from any direction.

After a long and terrifying moment of uncertainty, the light returned to normal levels. She looked up to see that the creature's form had changed slightly with the armor gone. It was leaner, more wiry, and moved in smoother motions, almost as though it were gliding. It looked down at Zelda, then bowed its head solemnly. She couldn't think of how to react right away and stood to return the gesture almost without thinking. It just seemed polite.

Once she had bowed back, the creature raised its arms. A portal of light, like those she had seen at Hyrule castle appeared before it. It stepped through and was gone, seemingly plunging the room into darkness…at least, until Zelda's eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from the plants on the walls.

Left alone in the silence and the darkness, Zelda felt her arms drop to her sides, the blade of the sword clanging against the floor. Now that the battle had ended, she felt her energy draining from her. She had a hard time holding herself up and found she was still breathing heavily. She had been able to forget about the wound on her leg while she had the fight to be concerned with, but now she was keenly aware of its burning pain. She collapsed again to the floor and just sat there staring blankly forward.

There was no way out of the room without going back down into the water. Her mask was somewhere down at the bottom. The mirror was still down there as well. She had no idea where her mask had landed and if she dove down to find it and missed, she wasn't sure she'd have the time or energy to get back out again. She couldn't think of anything to do. She couldn't even work up the energy to panic over the desperation of her situation. She simply sat there numbly staring into the still waters; she didn't have the strength to do more. Was this how her quest ended? Trapped in the darkness with her first target out of reach?

She had no idea how long she sat there like that. It seemed like ages had passed before she saw a disturbance on the surface of the water. She knew she should retrieve her sword to face whatever it was that was approaching, but she couldn't make herself move. She could only look at the spot as something broke through the surface. It was the head of a zora.

The zora looked around the room a bit, then turned and spotted Zelda sitting on the platform. Without a word it ducked back under the surface. Zelda sighed, though even she was unsure if it was in relief or resignation. She knew it would only be a matter of time before the zora found out where she'd gone. She wasn't really feeling up to facing their anger at her invading their palace, but she readily admitted to herself that she would much rather face the zora than another monster.

All was still for another moment before the zora returned to the surface with a companion. The two of them swam over to the platform and climbed up without a word. Walking over to Zelda, they pulled her to her feet. She didn't struggle or protest, she couldn't. Whatever they wanted, she would not fight.

The water's surface rippled again, this time heralding the arrival of the zora king who climbed out of the water and stood on the edge of the platform with his head held high, still every bit as intimidating as he'd been in the throne room. "I cannot believe you talked that boy into aiding you," he said, walking forward, "I cannot believe you'd be so stubborn as to ignore my words and come here against my wishes." He stopped just before her and looked down into her eyes. "I cannot believe the bravery you possess, princess," he said softly, "I cannot believe your strength."

He took a step back and bowed respectfully. The two zora followed their king's example, though only bowing their heads in order to keep her upright. She realized in that moment that they were not holding her; they were supporting her.

"Please understand that I was not deaf to your pleas, princess," the zora king said, pacing towards the water. "I believed you when you said it was urgent, but I was ashamed…we zora had been chased from our own palace by these monsters. I had hoped to stall you while I sent my warriors to drive them back and take back the mirror. The invasion surprised us, left us shaken. We were too afraid of the monsters to fight them properly." He stopped by the water's edge and reached down as another zora swam near the surface, handing something to him.

"And then you come barging in here," he continued, straightening back up, "you single-handedly fight those monsters and defeat the devil who lurked in this very chamber." He shook his head, "I am not pleased with your decision, princess, but I cannot deny the results." He turned back to her, holding out her mask. She took it and fumbled with putting it back on as he continued, "I believe your efforts have inspired my warriors. Even now they are clearing out the remainders of the monsters that lurk here. You have helped us a great deal, and I wish to return the favor."

He turned back to the water as one of the zora handed him the mirror. He then turned and passed it along to her, which she weakly accepted. He smiled, "You have undergone many trials here for our sakes and the sakes of all in Hyrule. You can do much when you believe in a cause that strongly, but your body seems to have paid the price. Come, you can rest with us, we will tend to your wounds."

Without warning, he turned and dove back into the water and the two zora holding Zelda followed. She had thought they would just support her as she made her own way back out of the palace, but she quickly realized that even at full strength she could never have kept up with them. They flew through the water as a bird does in air. She relaxed her muscles and let them carry her, holding tightly to the mirror.

One of the treasures had been recovered. She could only hope that the others would not be nearly as difficult.


End file.
